No Curry? Not a problem for GSW
Playing without Curry, Green, Pachulia, Kevin Durant steps up to help Golden State Warriors get past Portland
Golden State returned from a dominant road trip that might help shape its season and showed once more how important depth is to its success.
Kevin Durant had 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots, leading the short-handed Warriors past the sluggish Portland Trail Blazers 111-104 on Monday night.
Golden State played without two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who is nursing a sprained right ankle and missed his third straight game. Draymond Green sat out with a sore right shoulder while starting center Zaza Pachulia was sidelined for his second game in a row because of soreness in his left shoulder.
“These nights are really powerful for a team where guys are able to get out there who aren’t usually in the lineup,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Makes them feel good, makes us feel good and just strengthens the lineup.”
Portland star Damian Lillard scored a season-high 39 points with five 3-pointers playing back home in Oakland. He hit a 3-pointer late in the first half with Durant in his face and pumped his arm to celebrate.
Durant, who earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday, shot 11 for 21. Klay Thompson overcame a cold shooting start to score 24 points, and reserve Nick Young contributed 12 points in 13 minutes before leaving with a concussion in the third quarter.
David West scored 10 points to reach double figures over consecutive games for the first time with the Warriors and first since 2015-16 for San Antonio. He also had four blocks.
“I just thought our focus 1 through 12 was where it needed to be,” West said. “We were able to take care of business.”
Rookie Jordan Bell scored in double figures for the second time with 11 points, while Omri Casspi and Shaun Livingston also started for the defending champions, who were coming off a 6-0 road trip. It marked the franchise’s first time doing so in that long of a stretch away from home.
“We’re going to need that in the future if we want to continue to keep winning with Steph and Draymond out,” Durant said of the contributions from so many players.
Now, the Warriors will get to stay home for almost the entire rest of the year except for a trip to face the Lakers on Dec. 18.
CJ McCollum scored 21 points in Portland’s fifth straight loss. It was the first meeting of the season between the West rivals after Golden State took all four games last regular season and then swept the Blazers in the first round of the playoffs.